Torch disappeared overnight

Doug B · Dec 24, 2018

Yesterday afternoon I had 2 decent sized torch corals sitting side by side. Both bought at the same time, at the same place, and placed together in the same spot about 6 months ago. This morning when I looked in the tank one is just the skeletal structure. Not a polyp in sight. The other looks perfectly normal.

The only thing that has changed recently with regard to this tank is that I added a couple of very small emerald crabs. Is it possible one of them ate it? Or do torch corals just up and die in under 12 hours?

Thoughts?

James M · Dec 24, 2018

Could of detached from its skeleton and is somewhere is your tank

Auto-pilot · Dec 24, 2018

Any pics of the torch.. possible before and after??

Doug B · Dec 24, 2018

Both torches looked like the one in the picture yesterday. The empty space to the left is where the other one was. I moved it to a different tank since I do not know what happened. The pic of the skeleton is what greeted me at lights on this morning. So two of the same thing, in the same place, in the same tank, for the same time and under the same conditions...both fine yesterday. One dead today (or so it appears). Ponderous.

NaH20nerd · Dec 24, 2018

I’m betting your crabs had something to do with it. I had a similar situation with a small Zoa colony. Gone overnight. Haven’t lost anything since though so my Emerald didn’t get the death penalty.

Doug B · Dec 24, 2018

NaH20nerd said:
I’m betting your crabs had something to do with it. I had a similar situation with a small Zoa colony. Gone overnight. Haven’t lost anything since though so my Emerald didn’t get the death penalty.

I hope that's not the case. I enjoy watching them, and they help with bubble algae. I guess I'll have to keep a close eye on the tank once the lights go out.

Auto-pilot · Dec 24, 2018

What does the base of the skeleton look like on the alive torch corals??? Before death were they growing??? It looks like the flesh was not wrapping around the coral in the picture because it's not white near the top only white where the flesh was. I'd say it was receding from an infection maybe?? I've seen them just die all of a sudden due to infection. Seemingly fine one minute gone the next

Auto-pilot · Dec 24, 2018

you can see in this picture how the flesh is growing around the head and has not receeded up the base of the sceloton. This is a good sign of a healthy growing coral

NefTunzReef · Dec 24, 2018

I've had the exact same thing happen to me with a torch that literally died within 12 hours. No crabs in my tank. It was about 4-5 inches away from a hammer coral that is still thriving. My best guess is either an infection or coral warfare or something else undetected, but no way to definitively prove the cause. They have been in my tank for about a year before this happened.

dbjonesjr · Dec 24, 2018

Had an emerald get pretty big on me. Suspected it was him devouring Zoa colonies. Wasn’t sure until three days ago when I found him going to town on a large frag that I decided it was time for him to go. I have one more that is smaller but when the time comes he will go and crabs will be forever gone from my tanks.

slee · Dec 4, 2019

Auto-pilot said:
you can see in this picture how the flesh is growing around the head and has not receeded up the base of the sceloton. This is a good sign of a healthy growing coral

The white part under the head of the torch is a good sign? I just noticed this about my torch and wasn’t sure if this was a good thing. At nights it never closes and stays opens all day...